I spent this Saturday night in a Netflix coma consisting of Fuller House, Shameless, and the Chelsea Handler show. I was incredibly unprepared when I stumbled across a recent episode of Chelsea that changed my worldview. The christmas blend at Starbucks also changed my worldview, but that's another story.

Anyways, Chelsea Handler was hosting a roundtable with the actresses from "Orange is the New Black". The five ladies discussed all the nitty gritty boring details of the show and its creation. Then they moved on to a conversation about today's political and social climate AKA my shit.

The most interesting part was the ladies' conversation on social progress in America. By that I mean the civil rights of minorities -- women, immigrants, homosexuals, African Americans, etc. Then, the women specified the common complacency that occurs in a population after strides are made towards emancipation of a specific group of people. In other words, when a minority group in the United States gain certain rights like the right to marriage, suffrage, or even citizenship, there is a period of blind bliss; People celebrate the progress that its country has made towards inclusion and strength. Everyone talks about how "united" the United States of America has become with Instagram posts and red, white, and blue parades.

I understand that everyone loves to feel gratified and fulfilled when they see their fellow brethren get the most out of this American life, but the issue occurs a few months after when our memories prove to be too short, and we forget the struggles of the past.

The perfect example of this pattern is that in 2015 the United States Supreme Court decided that same-sex marriage was constitutional. Less than two years later our American system voted an outward homophobe to run the free world. How did that happen?

We must acknowledge this historical pattern of two steps forwards and one step back.

With that, I've decided to refer to this phenomenon as the "Progressive Hangover" not just because thinking about it gives me a headache, but also due to its undeniable ability to make me want to puke.

Okay, maybe that is a little harsh, but there is a common complacency that occurs historically after making just a bit of progress. Like a hungover college kid stays in bed on a Sunday, the American people fall asleep for far too long after the party and pay for it later.

If you understand nothing from this article, please remember to sharpen your memories. We must not forget how hard it was to move forward even after the slaves have been emancipated, the glass ceiling has been cracked, and we all got drunk at our lesbian cousin's wedding.

PS- Thank you Chelsea Handler for reminding me about the things that matter while making me pee my pants.